Gubernatoriana waghi Pati, 2016

Pati, S. K., Thackeray, T. & Khaire, A., 2016, Five new species of freshwater crabs of the genera Ghatiana Pati & Sharma, 2014, and Gubernatoriana Bott, 1970 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae Rathbun, 1904) from the Western Ghats, India, Zootaxa 4083 (4), pp. 569-586 : 583-585

Gubernatoriana waghi Pati n. sp.

( Figs. 11 , 12 )

Type material. INDIA: adult male, holotype (cw 16.64 mm, cl 12.90 mm, ch 8.00 mm, fw 6.58 mm), On the trekking route for Harishchandragad from Paachnai, Akole taluk, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra (19.404° N and 73.780° E), altitude 1065 m, 1 October 2014, coll. P.L. Wagh (ZSI, WRC-C.1517); paratypes, three males (cw 13.12–15.36 mm, cl 9.82–11.74 mm, ch 6.08–7.88 mm, fw 5.16–5.96 mm), same collection data as holotype (ZSI, WRC-C.1518).

Diagnosis. Carapace quadrate (cw/cl = 1.3); dorsal surface smooth, burnt orange coloured; anterolateral margin short, smooth, cristiform; posterolateral margin slightly convergent, with fine, oblique striations; front strongly deflexed, narrow (fw/cw = 0.4); epigastric cristae faintly visible; postorbital cristae indistinct; exorbital angle triangular, distinct, with long outer margin, ca. 2 times length of inner margin; epibranchial tooth visible as weak notch; frontal median triangle incomplete; epistomal median lobe broadly triangular with acute apex, lacking median tooth ( Figs. 11A, B ). Suture between male thoracic sternites s2/s3 indistinct, suture between sternites s3/s4 missing except for two short lateral grooves ( Figs. 11C, F ). Male abdomen narrowly T-shaped; sixth abdominal somite slightly broader than long, nearly equal to telson length; telson short; male sternoabdominal cavity deep, long, extending beyond level of bases of third maxillipeds ( Figs. 11C, G ). G1 with slender, cone-shaped, short terminal article, ca. 0.3 times length of subterminal segment, with distal portion slightly curved inwards, tip straight ( Figs. 12A–C ). G2 with very short or vestigial terminal article ( Fig. 12D ).

Description of holotype. Carapace quadrate (cw/cl = 1.3); dorsal surface smooth; anterolateral carapace gently inflated in frontal view; anterolateral margin short, smooth, cristiform; posterolateral margin slightly convergent, with fine, oblique striations; front strongly deflexed, squarecut, nearly flat, frontal margin straight, narrow (fw/cw = 0.4); epigastric cristae faintly visible, smooth; postorbital cristae indistinct; exorbital angle triangular, distinct, with long outer margin, ca. 2 times length of inner margin; epibranchial tooth visible as weak notch; postorbital region shallow; branchial regions gently inflated; subhepatic region slightly rugose; cervical grooves indistinct; mesogastric groove long, with slight bifurcation posteriorly; H-groove visible, shallow; frontal median triangle incomplete; epistomal median lobe broadly triangular with acute apex, lacking median tooth ( Figs. 11A, B ).

Chelipeds unequal; right chela larger, smooth, fingers with two or three larger teeth, distinct gape when tips in contact ( Fig. 11D ); length of dactylus greater than length of upper margin of palm; carpal spine small, blunt; outer surface of merus rugose. Ambulatory legs (p2–p5) long with fine, long tuft of brownish bristles with yellowish tips on anterior, posterior margins of propodus, dactylus; dactylus (p2–p5) slightly longer than propodus; longest propodus (p3) two times as long as broad ( Fig. 11E ).

Suture between male thoracic sternites s2/s3 indistinct, suture between sternites s3/s4 missing except for two short lateral grooves ( Figs. 11C, F ).

Male abdomen narrowly T-shaped; fifth abdominal somite distinctly broader than long, with concave lateral margins; sixth abdominal somite slightly broader than long, nearly equal in length to telson, with slightly concave lateral margins; telson short, broadly triangular with almost straight outer margins; male sternoabdominal cavity deep, long, extending beyond level of bases of third maxillipeds ( Figs. 11C, G ).

Mandibular palp with two joints, terminal joint bilobed; exopods of first, second maxillipeds with long flagellum; exopod of third maxilliped lacking flagellum, longer than ischium; ventral sulcus on ischium faint; merus with rounded anterior external angle, depression towards inner sides ( Fig. 11H ).

G1 with slender, cone-shaped, short terminal article, ca. 0.3 times length of subterminal segment, with distal portion slightly curved inwards, tip broad, straight, joint between terminal article, subterminal segment clear; subterminal segment distinctly broader than terminal article, basal two-thirds distinctly broader than distal onethird ( Figs. 12A–C ). G2 conspicuously short with very short or vestigial terminal article; proximal half portion of basal segment much stouter than distal half portion ( Fig. 12D ).

Live colour. Carapace is burnt orange, and chelipeds and ambulatory legs are ivory coloured ( Fig. 2E ).

Paratypes. Paratypes are consistent with the holotype in carapace and gonopod features except for the smallest male (ZSI, WRC- C.1518), which has three or four larger teeth on the fingers of the major cheliped.

Etymology. Species is named after its collector Dr. Prashant Wagh, zoologist.

Type locality. Between Harishchandragad and Paachnai, Akole taluk, Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra (19.404° N and 73.780° E) (altitude 1065 m).

Remarks. Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. shares many morphological and gonopod features with its congeners. Nevertheless, G. waghi n. sp. can be distinguished from them by the following suite of characters: carapace quadrate-shaped; frontal margin narrow; tips of the cheliped fingers pointed; G1 terminal article short; G2 terminal article very short or vestigial ( Figs. 11A, B, D , 12A, D ). In live crabs, the colour pattern is diagnostic, burnt orange carapace and ivory coloured chelipeds and ambulatory legs ( Fig. 2E ).

Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. is more similar to G. triangulus in the structure of its G1 due to proportionately stouter appearance of the subterminal segment as compared to the terminal article ( Fig. 12A ; see Pati & Sharma 2014a: fig. 7E for G. triangulus ). Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. can be easily differentiated from G. triangulus by its short G1 terminal article, ca. 0.3 times the length of the subterminal segment (vs. long G1 terminal article, ca. 0.5 times the length of the subterminal segment) and inwardly curved distal portion of the terminal article (vs. outwardly curved distal portion of the terminal article) ( Figs. 12A, C ; see Pati & Sharma 2014a: figs. 7E, G for G. triangulus ).

The G1 structure of G. waghi n. sp. is almost identical to that of G. pilosipes as both have a short G1 terminal article ( Fig. 12A ; see Pati & Sharma 2014b: pl. VIII, fig. 8D for G. pilosipes ). However, Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. is immediately distinguished from G. pilosipes by its pointed cheliped fingers (vs. broadly rounded or spoon tipped cheliped fingers) and long male sternoabdominal cavity, extending beyond the level of third maxilliped bases (vs. short male sternoabdominal cavity, extending beyond the level of cheliped bases) ( Figs. 11C, D ; see Bott 1970: pl. 34, fig. 34 and Pati & Sharma 2014b: pl. VIII, fig. 8C for G. pilosipes ).

Ecological notes. Individuals were collected under stones and small boulders of a narrow passage on the edge of mountain cliffs. Crabs may also occur inside the crevices of mountain cliffs.

Geographical distribution. Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. is known only from the type locality, Harishchandragad in Ahmednagar district of Maharashtra. This species was seen in Pune district from Malshej Ghat, which is about 7 km south of Harishchandragad (R. Shah, personal communication). Its occurrence in other parts of the Western Ghats with similar habitats, i.e. mountain cliffs, is possible.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Live crabs of new species of Ghatiana and Gubernatoriana. A, Ghatiana aurantiaca n. sp. from Amboli; B, Ghatiana splendida n. sp. from Chaukul; C, Gubernatoriana alcocki n. sp. from Vankusawade; D, Gubernatoriana thackerayi n. sp. from Raghuvir Ghat; C, Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp. from Malshej Ghat. Photo credits: A, B, Arjun Kamdar; C, B. V. Jadhav; D, Shailesh Bhosale; E, Rachit Shah.

FIGURE 11. Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp., holotype male (ZSI, WRC—C. 1517). A, dorsal view; B, frontal view; C, ventral view; D, right or major cheliped; E, right ambulatory leg (p 3); F, anterior male thoracic sternites; G, male abdomen; H, left third maxilliped. Scale bars = 5 mm (A, C), 2 mm (B, D – G), 1 mm (H).

FIGURE 12. Gubernatoriana waghi n. sp., holotype male (ZSI, WRC—C. 1517). A, dorsal view of right G 1; B, ventral view of right G 1; C, dorsal view of right G 1 terminal article; D, right G 2. Scale bar = 0.5 mm.